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Thread: Mistaken Lyrics


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Have you ever listened to a song for a long period of time, only to suddenly realize one day that you have been singing the wrong words?

This is a thread for all those silly moments.

For example, before I saw the words to U2's Zoo Station, I thought they were singing "crustacean." How about you? What funny lyrics did you come up with in your own head? Smile Smilie
I'll post something when I have time to think but in the meantime this is from an essay by Gavin Edwards about Mondegreens (mistaken lyrics)...

Quote:
The term "mondegreen" was coined by Sylvia Wright in a 1954 Atlantic article. As a child, young Sylvia had listened to a folk song that included the lines "They had slain the Earl of Moray/And Lady Mondegreen." As is customary with misheard lyrics, she didn't realize her mistake for years. The song was not about the tragic fate of Lady Mondegreen, but rather, the continuing plight of the good earl: "They had slain the Earl of Moray/And laid him on the green."

Mondegreens can be found in every area of the spoken word, from the record-buyer who asks for a copy the Queen single "Bohemian Rap City" to the schoolchild who is convinced that the Pledge of Allegiance begins "I led the pigeons to the flag."
That's a great quote, Vee. Smile Smilie Mondegreens...now I know!

Here's another mondegreen by my roommate in college. There is a song by the Proclaimers called "Cap in Hand." The lyrics say, "I can't understand why we let someone else rule our land, cap in hand," (in regards to Scotland). One day I caught my roommate singing, "I can't understand why we let someone else rule our land, carpetland." I was on the floor I was laughing so hard. Smile Smilie
Yea, I've mistaken lyrics a lot of times, I feel so stupid when I do. Elf With a Big Grin Smilie
My sister used to sign "Beat my mama with a baseball bat, Do dah, do dah." as a line in the song 'De Campground Races' I can't remember which line she misheard.

People can't agree on the words to Louie, Louie by Richard Berry and especially that recorded by the Kingsmen in 1963.
My sisters have caught me doing that sooooo many times! It's really embarrassing!
I know, it's very embarrassing isn't it? Happened to me so often! I can't remember any particular lyrics now though.

I remember when I was little I read the word "jukebox" somewhere, and didn't know how to pronounce it, so I simply called it a "ju-ke-box" instead of a "dzjoobox".
This poor little dead thread could be a lot of fun!

okay, there's an obvious lyrical mix-up; in Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze", he sings what sounds like "...'scuse me while I kiss this guy", but really he wants to kiss the sky. That's an old one and I think that particular mix-up is from the movie "Wayne's World". I'll work on thinking up more. I'm sure that there's a million. Anyone ever hear a song and laugh your tail off because it sounded like it said something ridiculous?
Definitely....i thought my boyfriend was gonna pee his pants he was laughing at me so hard last week. I was singing along w/ "Rompe" by Daddy Yankee and was making up words for the ones i didn't remember and since he speaks spanish and has it as his stupid cellphone tone he found it hilarious...i was so embarassed i looked up the lyrics to see what it was supposed to say. Luckily, he did the same thing with my favorite spanish song a couple of days later so i got to laugh at him .
I was embarrassed to find that a name I thought a little girl was called by in the movie A little Princess with Liam Cunningam was nothing like it .And I had thought the name so u nusual I used it on a writing forum.And then one day I had the subtitles showing on screen and when I say it I could not believe my faux pas . I thought the little princess Sarah calls to her friend and says'Mungye you shouldn't be here, you will get into trouble.' But it is only because of the way she quickly says part of t he name. The name was Irmengarde. Sheesh. How totally humiliating.
But on the other hand the name I have on that site is one of a kind!